STRAUGHAN, John W. - M.D. - Putnam

Dr. J. W. Straughan was found dead in his garden shortly before six on Tuesday afternoon. He had gone there but a few minutes before. During the day he had been seemingly in better health and spirits than usual, and worked about his place all day. He told the men working on his walk to do a good job, but that he never expected to set a foot on it. A short service was held at the home at 12:30 Thursday. A funeral sermon was preached at the Christian Church in Russellville by Rev. W. D. Headrick, of Indianapolis, after which the body was laid to rest in the Russellville Cemetery with Masonic ceremonies. Dr. J. W. Straughan, son of Nathanial S. and Mary Straughan, was born October 8, 1831, in Shelby Co., Ky. He moved to Indiana when quite young, and after gaining a preliminary education, he studied medicine under the then noted Wm. Mathies of Greencastle. During the winter months he taught school, thereby acquiring enough money to graduate from the Indiana Medical School in the spring of 1851. He then located at the then-prosperous village of Parkersburg in this county. Shortly after this he took a postgraduate course in the University School of Medicine of New York. February 1, 1853, he was married to Mary Josephine Harrison, who survives him. To this union were born three children: Robert S., Kent K, and Ida May (Williams); six grandchildren and three great grandchildren, all of whom, except one great-grandchild, little Alice Lee Straughan survive him. He did an enormous general practice for miles around for almost 60 years, in 30 years of which he had to endure the desperate hardships and privations of the pioneer physician, of which the young M.D. has no conception. During his long professional career he was justly proud of the fact that he had never sued or been sued. He has been honored by his professional brethren by having served a number of times as President of the Medical Association of this county. In 1868 he united with the Fincastle Universalist Church, and during his whole life he never wavered in the belief that the justice and mercy of the Master were all sufficient. Fraternally he was an Odd Fellow and a Mason, and at the time of his death he was a member of Waveland Lodge No. 300, also Crawfordsville Chapter No. 40 Royal Arch Masons. Politically he was a Republican and had been honored by being nominated and elected to the Legislature. During his tenure of office he made an effort to have a prohibition amendment to the constitution submitted but failed. He was so disgusted with the result that he became an independent voter, never missing an opportunity to vote for the man he thought would work hardest for temperance. Dr. Straughan was a very sympathetic man, having forfeited thousands of dollars worth of hard earned fees to the poor and needy; the stern exterior covering a warm and true heart, that constantly bled for other people’s misfortunes.    --- kbz

-- John W. STRAUGHAN married Sarah J. Straughan

b 8-11-1831 age 79 years 10 months 2 days Physician b. Ky d. Waveland

d 6-13-1911 cerebral hemmorhage

Father; Sanford Straughan b. Ky

Mother Mary Brown b. Ky

Source: Hiram Pratt's Diary - Pratt was a barber in Waveland Indiana for about 5 decades and wrote in a diary daily, often about people in the community Thursday June 13 -- $1.00. The dry weather is the cause of much complaint by the farmers more especially. In a good many places the oats are not a foot high and are heading. Corn that was planted real early is nearly waist high and where planted late from 6” to a foot. Dr KK Straughan’s father droped dead in the garden this evening. He was watering some of the plants. He was in his 78th year. Meat 25 cts. - kbz